1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a lock member attachment device and a lock member used for it, and more particularly to a lock member attachment device and a lock member used for it, which are suited to be used for densely attaching labels to a cloth product.
2. Related Art
In general, for sticking a tag indicating price, quality, etc. to a fabric product such as clothes, a string has been used. Recently, a tag locking tool called xe2x80x9ctag pinxe2x80x9d, which is made of plastics, was used for the same purpose.
However, the conventional manner for sticking a tag to a fabric product using a string or a tag locking tool has such an inconvenience that the tag is swung in a suspended fashion and liable to come off easily. Moreover, because a denim and a jeans as a weaved cotton cloth are dense in mesh, a needle used for attaching a string and a tag pin is difficult to be inserted into such a dense cloth.
For this reason, it is an ordinary practice that a tag is stuck to an object, particularly, a denim and a jeans by a metal needle (staple). However, this metal needle is not suited to be used for a soft cloth. Moreover, this metal needle is not well accepted from a view point of recently prevailing social demands such as prevention of injury and difficulty in disposal after use. Thus, use of other materials than the metal needle are demanded.
In order to meet with this demand, an attachment device and a lock member are developed in which the lock member is formed in an H-shaped configuration and a tag is stuck to an object by a central filament and coming-off preventive portions formed on opposite ends thereof. However, this conventional attachment device is an installed type and complicated in mechanism. And a supporting frame (runner) is indispensable for the lock members in order to keep shape and for reinforcement in an assembled state of the individual lock members.
The present invention has been accomplished in view of the abovementioned situation and problems inherent in the conventional device. It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a lock member attachment device which is handy and simple in mechanism and in which any desired material can be used as a raw material. It is also another object of the present invention to provide a lock member in which there is no need of a provision of a supporting frame and the advantage of its raw material can be effectively utilized.
To achieve the above objects, there is essentially provided a lock member attachment device comprising a main body containing a continuous assembly of lock members each having a filament, the filament being provided on each end thereof with a coming-off preventive portion, the main body including means for pushing the assembly forward and a pair of guide needles disposed at a front portion of the main body, the coming-off preventive portions of the lock member located at a foremost end of the assembly being inserted into the pair of guide needles, an upper lid pivotally supported at a rear end thereof above the main body, the upper lid including a piston member adapted to push out the lock member, which is inserted into the pair of guide needles, forward through return means, and a receiving base pivotally supported at a rear end thereof under the main body and adapted to support an object, the upper lid being provided at a part thereof with a roll or link member for allowing the upper lid and the main body to move in unison at an early stage of movement but releasing the unisonous movement when a lower end of the roll or link member contacts the receiving base. The lock member attachment device may further comprises a projecting cover disposed at a front and an upper part of the receiving table and adapted to protect a finger tip and the object from foremost ends of the guide needles and restrain a pulling up motion of the object when the guide needles are returned. Preferably, the piston member is formed in a downwardly facing U-shaped configuration and an upper part of the piston member is supported by a holder such that an angle thereof can be changed. It is also preferred that the holder is formed in an arcuate configuration from where the piston member is hung. The guide needles may be different in length. Preferably, a groove formed in each of the guide needles and adapted to allow the passage of the filament of the lock member is twisted.
From another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a lock member continuous assembly comprising a plurality of runner-less lock members each having a filament and coming-off preventive portions connected to opposite ends of the filament, the lock members being integrally injection molded from a comparatively soft material such as plastics and rubber in such a manner that every adjacent lock members are connected with each other at a spot so that the lock members can easily be separated individually only with a small pressure. Preferably, the filament is in a straight form so that stretching properties of its raw material by pressure can be utilized. It is also accepted that the filament is somewhat loosened. The raw material is preferably a biodegradable material. It is also preferred that the raw material can be torn off by finger tips.
From a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a lock member attachment device comprising a base plate having a flange at a lower edge thereof, a movable plate pivotally supported on the base plate and integrally provided with a lever portion, a part of the movable plate being tensile biased by biasing means disposed between the base plate and the movable plate, a receiving member supported on a front lower part of the base plate such that a part thereof is faced with the base plate, a lever member operatively connected to the movable plate and pivotally supported at a lower end thereof, a link member whose rear end is pin-connected to a front end of the link member through an elongated hole, a piston member being moved up and down by a front end of the link member, a pair of hollow needles for allowing the piston member to be inserted therein, and a lock member feed mechanism pivotally supported and operated by the front end of the link member. Preferably, a lock member carrier path formed in the base plate and extending to the hollow needles is formed with a guide flange on which a lock member pushing and feeding piece is disposed. It is also preferred that a space for allowing the object to be pushed therein is formed the lower edge of the base plate and an upper surface of the receiving member, and a stopper member to be abutted with a front end of the inserted object is positionally displaceably disposed in a part of the space. It is preferred that the base plate is provided at a lower end thereof with an auxiliary member for withdrawing the pair of hollow needles from the object, the auxiliary member being provided with a window opening for allowing the needles to be inserted therein. Preferably, a curved surface portion formed on the front end of the lever portion is engaged with a protruded/bent piece formed on the receiving member, and the receiving member is raised by the lever portion so that the object is sandwiched and pressurized between the receiving member and the lower edge of the base plate. The lock member attachment device may further comprise a claw member disposed at a terminal end of the lock member carrier path near the hollow needles, the claw member being biased by a spring member for preventing the lock member from returning. It is preferred that the lock member feed mechanism pivotally moves a pivotally supported exterior body having a lateral U-shaped configuration in section by slidingly pressing a curved plate spring fitted to the exterior body with a tip portion of the link member when the link member is returned, so that a feed claw formed on a lower end of the exterior body feeds the lock member by a predetermined pitch.